Dahlia plant named ‘Bkdapyl’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Dahlia  plant named ‘Bkdapyl’, characterized by its compact, upright, somewhat outwardly spreading and mounding plant habit; dense and bushy growth habit; early and continuous flowering habit; double inflorescences with yellow-colored ray florets; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Dahlia hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘BKDAPYL’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Dahlia plant, botanically known as Dahlia hybrida and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Bkdapyl’.

The new Dahlia plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Maasdijk, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is to create new container Dahlia plants that have a freely branching habit, attractive ray floret coloration, long flowering period and good garden performance.

The new Dahlia plant originated from an open-pollination in June, 2007 in Maasdijk, The Netherlands of a proprietary selection of Dahlia hybrida identified as code number 2007-0010, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unknown selection of Dahlia hybrida as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Dahlia plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated open-pollination in a controlled environment in Maasdijk, The Netherlands in July, 2008.

Asexual reproduction of the new Dahlia plant by cuttings in a controlled environment in Maasdijk, The Netherlands since November, 2008 has shown that the unique features of this new Dahlia plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Dahlia have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions and cultural conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Bkdapyl’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Bkdapyl’ as a new and distinct Dahlia plant:

-   -   1. Compact, upright, somewhat outwardly spreading and mounding         plant habit.     -   2. Dense and bushy growth habit.     -   3. Early and continuous flowering habit.     -   4. Double inflorescences with yellow-colored ray florets.     -   5. Good garden performance.

Compared to plants of the female parent selection, plants of the new Dahlia differ primarily in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Dahlia have double type inflorescences         whereas plants of the female parent selection have semi-double         type inflorescences.     -   2. Plants of the new Dahlia and the female parent selection         differ in ray floret color as plants of the female parent         selection have red purple-colored ray florets.

Plants of the new Dahlia can be compared to plants of Dahlia ‘Bokito Yellow’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Maasdijk, The Netherlands, plants of the new Dahlia differed from plants of ‘Bokito Yellow’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Dahlia were more compact than plants of         ‘Bokito Yellow’.     -   2. Inflorescences of plants of the new Dahlia were held more         upright than inflorescences of plants of ‘Bokito Yellow’.     -   3. Plants of the new Dahlia had smaller inflorescences than         plants of ‘Bokito Yellow’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Dahlia plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Dahlia plant.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Bkdapyl’ grown in a container.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Bkdapyl’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and the following observations and measurements describe plants grown during the winter in 12-cm containers in a glass-covered greenhouse in Maasdijk, The Netherlands and under conditions and practices which approximate those generally used in commercial container Dahlia production. During the production of the plants, day and night temperatures ranged from 17° C. to 19° C. Plants were pinched one time and were three months old when the photographs and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Dahlia hybrida ‘Bkdapyl’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Dahlia             hybrida identified as code number 2007-0010, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unknown selection of Dahlia             hybrida, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 16 days at             temperatures of about 18° C. to 21° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 19 days at             temperatures of about 18° C. to 21° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 21 days             at temperatures of about 18° C. to 21° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About 23 days             at temperatures of about 18° C. to 21° C.         -   Root description.—Medium in thickness, fibrous, white in             color; tuber development has not been observed.         -   Rooting habit.—Moderate branching; medium density. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form and growth habit.—Compact, upright, somewhat             outwardly spreading and mounding plant form; broad inverted             triangle; eight primary lateral branches develop, each             primary lateral branch with numerous secondary branches;             inflorescences held above the foliar plane on strong             peduncles; bushy and dense growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 16.1 cm.         -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 22.7 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 10.2 cm. Diameter: About             4 mm. Internode length: About 1.2 cm. Aspect: About 30° from             vertical. Strength: Strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous.             Color: Close to 144A. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Leaves opposite; single.         -   Length.—About 5.2 cm.         -   Width.—About 3.8 cm.         -   Shape.—Broadly ovate.         -   Apex.—Short apiculate.         -   Base.—Attenuate.         -   Margin.—Dentate to coarsely dentate.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 143A to             143B. Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 143C and             144A. Fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to N137A;             venation, close to 146C. Fully expanded leaves, lower             surface: Close to 191B; venation, close to 146A to 146B.         -   Petioles.—Length: About 2 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper             surface: Close to 144A and 146C. Color, lower surface: Close             to 146C. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance and arrangement.—Double inflorescence form with             ray and disc florets forming acropetally on a receptacle;             inflorescences positioned above the foliar plane on strong             peduncles; inflorescences face mostly upright; freely             flowering habit, about 32 inflorescences per plant.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Time to flower.—Early flowering habit, plants begin             flowering about 54 days after planting; plants flower             continuously during the late summer in The Netherlands.         -   Post-production longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good             substance for about two to three weeks on the plant;             inflorescences not persistent.         -   Inflorescence bud.—Height: About 4 mm. Diameter: About 6 mm.             Shape: Globular, flattened. Color: Close to 144B to 144C.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 3.6 cm. Depth (height):             About 2 cm. Disc diameter: About 1.1 cm. Receptacle height:             About 2 mm. Receptacle diameter: About 2 mm. Receptacle             color: Close to 145C.         -   Ray florets.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 80 arranged             in about six whorls. Length: About 1.6 cm. Width: About             8 mm. Shape: Obovate. Apex: Rounded to retuse. Base: Broadly             cuneate. Margin: Entire. Aspect: About 70° from vertical;             ray florets concave. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:             Smooth, glabrous. Color: When opening, upper surface: Close             to 2A; towards the margins, close to 2B. When opening, lower             surface: Close to 2B. Fully opened, upper and lower             surfaces: Close to 2B; color does not change with             development.         -   Disc florets.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 22. Length:             About 9 mm. Diameter: About 2.5 mm. Shape: Tubular,             elongated; apices, acute. Texture, inner and outer surfaces:             Smooth, glabrous. Color, when opening and fully opened:             Close to 12A; towards the base, close to 1D.         -   Phyllaries.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 15 arranged in             a single whorl. Length: About 8 mm. Width: About 3.5 mm.             Shape: Oblong. Apex: Obtuse. Base: Broadly cuneate. Margin:             Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous.             Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 150B; towards the             base, close to 145A.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 5.2 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm.             Aspect: Erect to about 30° from vertical. Strength: Strong.             Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 144A to 144B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium, present on disc florets             only: Quantity per floret: About five. Filament length:             About 4 mm. Filament color: Close to 1C. Anther shape:             Narrowly oblong. Anther length: About 1.5 mm. Anther color:             Close to 13A. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color: Close to             13A. Gynoecium, present on ray and disc florets: Quantity             per floret: One. Pistil length: About 9 mm. Style length:             About 7 mm. Style color: Close to 145C. Stigma shape: Cleft.             Stigma color: Close to 13A. Ovary color: Close to 145D.             Seeds/fruits: Seed and fruit development have not been             observed on plants of the new Dahlia. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Dahlia have not been     shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Dahlia. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Dahlia have been observed to     have good garden performance and to tolerate wind and rain. Plants     of the new Dahlia have been observed to be tolerant to high     temperatures of 35° C. and hardy to USDA Hardiness Zone 8. 

1. A new and distinct Dahlia plant named ‘Bkdapyl’ as illustrated and described. 